Anisacanthus quadrifidus var wrightii       18048

This is a moderately branched, erect to spreading shrub 0.5-1.5m tall. The young stems are with internodes 10-45mm long, 0.7-1.5mm wide, terete, non to weakly striate, yellow-green, with decurved hairs 0.2-0.4mm long in broad decurrent lines extending from leaf-petiole margins across a stipular ridge and down the complete internode, this well developed or sparse, otherwise glabrous or sometimes sparsely hirtellous, rarely sparsely glandular but soon to tardily glabrate. The older stems are tan to grayish, with bark not peeling in sheets.

The leaves are opposite, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, 30-50mm long, 7-15mm wide, (reduced above), tapering to an acute tip, rounded to cuneate, sometimes oblique, with petioles 4-7mm long at base, unevenly entire at yellowish, mostly revolute (when dry) margins, glabrous to glabrate on both surfaces except for few to many antrorsely curved hairs along lower impressed midrib above and along lower leaf and petiole margins. The leaf-blades are yellow-green, more or less glandular-punctate, with midvein raised, yellowish beneath. The leaves are abscissing at base above a yellowish, broad, persisting leaf-base 0.3-0.5mm high, 0.8-1.6mm wide, with abscission line often appearing black.

There are 1-3 flowers at upper nodes borne on elongate, slender, secund, upwardly arching, spicate racemes along terminal 5-14cm of seasons shoots. The inflorescence internodes are 2-14mm long, rather strongly hirtellous. The bracts (reduced leaves) are lanceolate-deltate, 2-7mm long to 0.5-1.3mm wide at base, acute to attenuate. The paired bracteoles are similar, 2-3mm long, both rather soon caducous leaving distinct protruding bract-bases topped with conspicuous tan, corky-rimmed abscission scars. The peduncles are broad, 1-2mm long. The calyces are 3.5-4.5mm long, tube 1.4-2mm long, lobes lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate to deltate, 1.8-3.2mm long, 0.9-1.2mm wide at base, lobes 1.1-2.3 times as long as tube at anthesis. The pedicels, calyces are hirtellous with erect hairs more or less 0.03mm long particularly at tube base, and with more or less conspicuous yellow-headed, stipitate glands 0.03-0.08mm long with heads 0.03-0.06mm wide outside, margins and tips of lobes weakly pilose with hairs 0.1-0.2mm long, these often tufted at tip, inner lobe surfaces weakly to densely sessile glandular and weakly strigose with scattered antrorse hairs near tube. The corollas are red to orange-red, often yellowish where shaded in bud, 31-40mm long, tube expanded at base around ovary, slightly ampliate distally, 19-25mm long, upper (posterior) lobe 14-17mm long, separating 3-7mm proximal to lower 3-lobes, lower 3 lobes 9-13mm long, all lobes flaring, oblong to strap-shaped, 2-3mm wide, acute. The corollas are pilose-pubescent externally with multicellular, tapering, retrorsely bent-spreading hairs 0.2-0.3mm long. There are 2 stamens, inserted in lower lobe distal to separation of upper lobe. The filaments are glabrous 9-11mm long, orange-yellow, glabrous, straight. The anthers are 2.5-3.2mm long, thecae subequal to equal, parallel, separate for 1-1.5mm at base, sporangia reddish, connective dull yellowish. The style is 26-35mm long, glabrous, exserted. The stigmatic lobes are circa 0.2mm long, acute.

The capsules are 13-16mm long, glabrous, tan, basal flattened stipe 5-8mm long, head ovoid, 6-8mm long, apiculate, retinacula 2.5-3mm long. There are 3-4 seeds, notched basally, 4.5-5.6mm long, 4-4.5mm wide, to 1mm thick, at maturity brown, more or less bullate and tuberculate on both faces, or mainly on inner face, with thickened margins.

- A Revision of the North American species of the genus Anisacanthus, Stanley Harlan Hagen. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 1941 Vol. 28 pag. 385-408. Address

- A Revision of the North American species of the genus Anisacanthus, Stanley Harlan Hagen. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 1941 Vol. 28 pag. 385-408. Address

Biological type: shrub
Frost resistance: 19ºF
Leaf color: dark green
Flower color: red

Specifications for the Mediterranean basin
Adult size (h x w): 4,9ft x 4,9ft
Sun exposure: full sun (Sun hours: >6h
Foliage: semi-evergreen
Growth: fast
Flowering time from July until October

Specific information for our garden
Planting substrate: 30%Compost+30%Coco+40%Sand
Plant watering: 1x a week pH 6.5
Logical sequence of containers for: Perennials; forestry plate 8cm, 1L container, 2L forestry pot, 6L container, 55L container
Propagation is done by cuttings

Ecology in its country of origin
Rainfall: 400-1000mm
Gravelly soil: much

SPRING Scarify the seed coating. Soak the seeds in warm water of 104°F for 24h (Change the water every 12 hours) until the seeds swell. Sow the seeds at 2mm depth in the Well Drained Seed Sowing Mix between 64-72°F. During germination keep the substrate moist and in daylight. The seeds germinate in 2-3 weeks.
The average seed weight is 103,6 per gram (0,009655g).